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Matted saxifrage, saxifraga vespertina, spotted saxifrage, yellow dot saxifrage

thyme-leaf saxifrage

Habit Plants forming loose mats, (stems trailing), not stoloniferous, rhizomatous. Plants mat-forming, not stoloniferous, rhizomatous.
Leaves

cauline (crowded proximally);

petiole absent;

blade spatulate, unlobed or minutely 3-toothed or -lobed apically, 4–11 mm, leathery, margins entire, (not cartilaginous), stiffly ciliate, apex rounded or obtuse, mucronate, surfaces glabrous.

basal and cauline, (cauline 1–4);

petiole absent;

blade linear (cauline) or oblong to oblanceolate or spatulate, unlobed, 2–8.5 mm, fleshy, margins (recurved), entire, eciliate, apex obtuse, not mucronate, surfaces glabrous or glabrate.

Inflorescences

3–6-flowered cymes, 2.5–12 cm, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular;

bracts sessile.

solitary flowers, 2–7 cm, sparsely to densely pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular;

bracts sessile.

Flowers

sepals erect, ovate to oblong, margins sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous;

petals white to cream, yellow-spotted proximally, red- or orange-spotted distally, these often faded in dried specimens, elliptic, 4–6 mm, much longer than sepals;

ovary superior.

sepals erect to spreading (reflexed in fruit, often purplish), broadly ovate to elliptic, margins eciliate or sometimes sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous;

petals pale yellow, rarely purple, faded when dried, not spotted, elliptic to obovate, 4–8 mm, longer than sepals;

ovary superior.

2n

= 26.

= 16 (Russia).

Saxifraga vespertina

Saxifraga serpyllifolia

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky slopes, ledges, crevices Moist to dry sandy areas, cliffs, gravelly ridges, scree, tundra
Elevation 100-1800 m (300-5900 ft) 0-2200 m (0-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; NU; YT; Asia (Japan, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The purple-flowered variant of Saxifraga serpyllifolia has been called var. purpurea.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 142. FNA vol. 8, p. 139.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Saxifraga Saxifragaceae > Saxifraga
Sibling taxa
S. adscendens, S. aizoides, S. aleutica, S. bracteata, S. bronchialis, S. cernua, S. cespitosa, S. cherlerioides, S. chrysantha, S. debilis, S. eschscholtzii, S. flagellaris, S. hirculus, S. hyperborea, S. mertensiana, S. nathorstii, S. oppositifolia, S. paniculata, S. radiata, S. rivularis, S. serpyllifolia, S. taylorii, S. tricuspidata, S. tridactylites
S. adscendens, S. aizoides, S. aleutica, S. bracteata, S. bronchialis, S. cernua, S. cespitosa, S. cherlerioides, S. chrysantha, S. debilis, S. eschscholtzii, S. flagellaris, S. hirculus, S. hyperborea, S. mertensiana, S. nathorstii, S. oppositifolia, S. paniculata, S. radiata, S. rivularis, S. taylorii, S. tricuspidata, S. tridactylites, S. vespertina
Synonyms Leptasea vespertina, S. bronchialis subsp. vespertina, S. bronchialis var. vespertina S. serpyllifolia var. purpurea
Name authority (Small) Fedde: Just’s Bot. Jahresber. 33(1): 613. (1906) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 310. 1813 ,
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